CLEVELAND -- .Former Astros manager Brad Mills is nearing the end of his first season as the third-base coach for the Indians and appears content about the way things unfolded about 13 months following his dismissal in Houston

Mills was reunited with former college roommate and close friend Terry Francona, who has the Indians in the American League Wild Card hunt in the final two weeks of the season. Mills was Francona's bench coach with the Red Sox before taking over as manager of the Astros in 2010.

"The whole situation has been good," Mills said. "Terry has been great. It's a fun coaching staff to be with, and [hitting coach] Ty [Van Burkleo] has done a great job with these guys. It's a good group, especially to be able to come together like they have and play for something at the end."

Mills went 171-274 in his nearly three years at the helm of the Astros, who were slowly dismantled shortly after he took over. The roster turnover hasn't stopped, and there are very few players remaining from Mills' time in Houston.

"I look at [Jose] Altuve and how he's doing and Brandon Barnes, who was there very little with me," Mills said. "Guys like Marwin Gonzalez, Carlos Corporan and Brett Wallace you follow because you were with those guys for almost three years. I care about these guys and they're good people."